Tag: Future

If I Told You…

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, Life2 Comments

Since the time people found out about my return to India, I have received a range of reactions. Some have encouraged me to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and trust Him with this next phase. Others have felt sorry for me and felt even more pain than I myself have felt. Still others have told me how wonderful it was that I was going to be closer to my family and some others bombarded me with questions of how I will survive in my motherland – the country that raised me for 26yrs of my life and made me the woman that I am today. Some (bless their hearts) were downright mortified hearing my news.

This made me ask myself – What are people seeing in my story? What stands out to them? And I wondered – If there was anything that I wanted people to take away from my story, what would it be? What would I want them to focus on? Who would I want to shine through my story?

This song by Big Daddy Weave came to mind –

If I told you my story
You would hear Hope that wouldn’t let go
And if I told you my story
You would hear Love that never gave up
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life, but it wasn’t mine

If I told you my story
You would hear victory over the enemy
And if I told you my story
You would hear freedom that was won for me
And if I told you my story
You would hear Life overcome the grave

If I should speak then let it be
Of the grace that is greater than all my sin
Of when justice was served and where mercy wins

Of the kindness of Jesus that draws me in
Oh to tell you my story is to tell of Him

This is my story, this is my song
Praising my savior all the day long!

As I enter this new adventure that Jesus has very thoughtfully brought me to, I encourage you to not see the struggle, the pain, the confusion, the hurt, the disappointments or even the achievements I’ve had. Instead, my prayer is that you will see, very evidently, the loving Father, the victorious King and the great Comforter. To tell you my story, is to tell of Him!

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

Whoa! What Just Happened?

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Life4 Comments

Have you ever felt like the ground below your feet was suddenly pulled away? Like someone sucked the air out of your lungs and in an instant your whole life was topsy-turvy? Well that about sums up my past two days.

Yesterday I found out that my name did not get picked in the H1B lottery. This means that my application will not even be considered for a visa and I will need to leave the country soon. While I have no regrets in returning to my country, my motherland that made me the woman that I am, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed.

When I came to America in 2013 I thought I was going to come, study and leave. I never thought this would be a learning ground for me. The Lord made it clear that He had a plan for me here that went beyond just attending graduate school. He opened my eyes to new experiences that I wouldn’t have known if I didn’t come here. When I moved to Boone and began working with Samaritan’s Purse, I was convinced that God called me here. He went ahead of me and created a position for me. He gave Samaritan’s Purse the courage and strength to fight for me. I didn’t have a single shadow of doubt that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The way things were falling in to place, I knew that I would get my visa. I mean, why wouldn’t I? If God brought me so far, He’d definitely see it through. Right?

So you can imagine my shock when I found out that my petition didn’t get picked in the lottery. I was completely caught off guard! While I still don’t feel like God’s calling me back to India, I no longer trust what I “feel.” All I know is that He’s shut the door to America. While processing through what happened, I couldn’t help but ask – What’s the point of all of this? What did I even achieve living in America?

Until, the Lord brought His goodness back to memory. Living in this nation taught me –

  1. What it means to be stripped of everything that is familiar to you and yet truly understand that through it all Jesus is enough!
  2. That neither my employer nor my paycheck is my provider. Only God is my provider.
  3. That waiting on the Lord is NEVER in vain.
  4. What it means to sit back and watch the Lord carve out a path for you.
  5. What it means to trust the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength EVEN when things don’t go your way.
  6. That even when it doesn’t feel like it, God is still faithful.

As I struggle to focus on God’s purpose in my life and in my situation, I know that He’s still sovereign. I have a million questions buzzing through my brain and I simply don’t understand. But with Jesus by my side, I don’t have to understand. Disappointed as I am, for now, knowing that God knows exactly what He’s doing, is enough for me. I will trust His wisdom.

God is good.
God is faithful.
God is sovereign.
God is bigger than the lottery.
God is bigger than my H1B.

God is bigger than my disappointment.

When You don’t move the mountains, I’m needing You to move;
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through;
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You – I will trust in You!

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

#disappointedbutnotdiscouraged

India my love, here I come!

A Still Small Voice

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Life, Uncertainty3 Comments

Have you ever felt as though the voices around you seem to contradict the very thing that you thought you knew for sure? Has it ever seemed like you tend to trust what other people say about your situation, more than what God does? I’ve felt that way these past couple of days.

As somebody who left a very comfortable job, a wonderful family, amazing friends, a nurturing church and doting niece and nephews, coming to the understanding that God’s plan for me was in America, and not in India, didn’t come easy. I cried out, “Help! I’m Desperate!” before I finally surrendered to Him.

After my Associate position with Samaritan’s Purse ended in January 2016, I was all set to book my tickets back to India. However, the Lord intervened and convinced me to trust Him and to trust the plans He had for me here in America. Finally casting all my cares on Him, I began serving Operation Christmas Child as a volunteer. The next four months opened my eyes to a deeper, much closer, stronger walk with Jesus. In early January this year God made it abundantly clear to me that I needed to stop looking over my shoulder at India and begin laying down roots here in America. When I wondered if that was God’s voice or my own, He spoke to me from John 10:3-4. I knew without a shadow of doubt that this was all God because I know my Shepherd! I recognize His voice.

Once I acknowledged the plan He made so evident to me, and trusted Him to fulfill it, I watched in amazement as He went ahead of me and created the path for me. For the first time in my life, I watched as the Lord fought every single battle for me, while I simply sat still. He moved mountains to ensure that Samaritan’s Purse submitted an H1B petition for me and that I would serve as a National Spokesperson for Operation Christmas Child!

Over these past few years of waiting and wondering where I’m headed, if there is one thing I have learned, it is that God always lead with His peace (Isaiah 55:12a). Even though I’ve been living in excruciating uncertainty, I’ve seen first hand what it means to be the daughter of the Prince of Peace! The perfect peace (Isaiah 25:3) that He’s poured on me is beyond comprehension!

On April 9, 2016 the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services completed the random computer generated lottery for H1B petitions. This means that I will hear about my visa situation any day now. While this is exciting, it’s also scary. This past Friday I began getting anxious – Not because I was worried, but because I hadn’t heard anything about my visa. Nothing! The more I researched on the H1B lottery, the more I read about people already having received notifications of whether or not they were picked for visa processing. Several schools of thought, including that of friends who’ve been through this process hinted at the chance of my petition not making the lottery. This would mean that I would go back to India. I spent all of Friday breaking my head over why I hadn’t heard anything yet. I spent all weekend listening to various different voices – friends, H1B discussion boards, H1B blogs, “Experts” on the process – telling me that because I hadn’t heard anything about the lottery result, it could mean that I didn’t get picked in the lottery. But in my heart, I know without a shadow of doubt that the Lord’s not calling me to India. So, how can this be?

And then, I heard a still small voice saying – “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” ~ Ecclesiastes 11:5

Now, I may be quoting that verse out of context but this I know with all my heart – I have a 0.31 chance of being picked in the lottery. If my future were left to “chance” I would be worried. Good thing that even though I do not know what the future holds, I know WHO holds my future and He knows EXACTLY what He is doing.

So, even though I haven’t heard about the status of my visa petition, I am choosing to believe that the God Who went ahead of me and created a path to bring me to America, keep me here for almost 3yrs, get me introduced to Samaritan’s Purse, cross my path with people who would fight for me tooth and nail till I had a full time position, get my H1B petition into the lottery, give me a fully furnished all utilities included house, GIFT me a CAR, is the same God Who will get me through the lottery.

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

~ 1 Kings 19:11-13 

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

 

The Blessing of Uncertainty

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Life, Uncertainty3 Comments

This past week has been a lot of fun and a much needed break from my not-so-busy routine. If you know anything about me, you will know that I LOVE being busy. I love having stuff to do and I absolutely love being productive. However, since the time my Associate position with Samaritan’s Purse ended, I haven’t felt very productive. Sure my days are still full, sure I’m able to care for an adorable baby in the mornings and sure I’m able to volunteer in the afternoons, but it’s just not the same as having a full day of work. You know what I mean? So this past week has been a breath of fresh air for me, as I’ve been “working,” albeit in the capacity of a volunteer, from 8am till at least 10pm. It was tiring, exhausting and downright amazing!!! I had the privilege of being part of Operation Christmas Child’s Connect Conference and Full Circle Speaker training.

I’ve learned a lot over this past week. But one the biggest lessons I learned was the lesson of gratitude. My friend Izabella was sharing with us on one of the mornings about the importance of being thankful. As I was pondering on this, I began thinking about what I was truly grateful for. My answer took me by surprise! Without so much as a shadow of doubt, I realized that I was very grateful my “uncertainties.” Weird right?!!!

When I left India for America, I just thought I was moving countries. I never realized that I was exchanging a life of comfort and certainty, for a life that constantly and consistently made me step out of my comfort zone, and be soaked in the speculative, in the unknown! No matter which direction I turned in, I was faced with uncertainty and I hated it! I hated not knowing!

When I arrived in Lynchburg in 2013, my housing situation was not what I expected and I had no clue where I would live! When summer 2014 came I had no clue where I would be working! I desperately needed a job because not working was NOT an option. After summer, my housing situation changed again and I had no clue where I was going to live. Just before I graduated in 2015, I packed up all that I owned, and waited for the Lord to show me where He was leading me. I was so sure that I would have a job by the time I graduated. But did that happen? Nope! On June 1, I found myself without a job, without an income and without an apartment. So, I put everything I owned in a rental car and left Lynchburg. Where was I headed you ask? No idea!!! When I moved to Boone in September, I knew that my position would end in January 2016. I also knew that the Lord wasn’t leading me back to India. How would He keep me in America? I have no clue whatsoever!

Over these past two and a half years, God’s faithfulness has been more than evident in EVERY situation! When I moved to Lynchburg without having a place to stay, He opened the doors of a stranger’s home where I stayed for a week till I found roommates and moved into an apartment! In summer when not working was NOT an option, He opened the doors to an amazing internship in a phenomenal children’s ministry. I got to live with the most loving, kind and generous family that I’ve ever met. They’re close to my heart and I know that I’ll always have a home with them! Right after my summer internship, God opened the door for me to live in a home that I could make my own! He allowed me to create new, lifelong friendships. I spent quality time with my roommates! We laughed, we cried, we watched Hawaii Five-O together! Life was good! When it was time for me to leave Lynchburg after I graduated, He opened my cousin’s home in Miami where I had the chance to teach at a Community College. In a span of four months, I had the opportunity to live in four different states (Thank God for family who opened their homes to me without hesitation!!!). Even without a job and with no income, I never had to worry about having a roof over my head or about food on my plate. I never had to stretch out my hand in front of another, and I never had to deny myself anything that my heart desired. All of my needs have been met, and all of my wants have been fulfilled. Today, as I continue to “volunteer” with Operation Christmas Child, I still have a tank full of gas. My freezer is stuffed with food (I’m still wondering where all that food came from). I still bought that dress that I really, really, liked. I still traveled around to spend time with friends. I still have a savings account that has not been touched. Like I said, God’s faithfulness has been undeniable!!!

Today, as I continue to stand on the threshold of the great unknown, I still don’t know where I’m headed. I don’t know for sure that my position with Operation Christmas Child will work out. I don’t know for sure that my name will get picked out in the lottery and that I will get my H1B visa. I can honestly say that I have no idea what tomorrow holds. But you know what? That’s okay. Because, I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand!!!

Amidst these plethora of  uncertainties, I’ve felt God’s sovereignty over my life in ways I have never experienced before. I’ve begun to see Him as a good, good Father! His goodness is not subject to my circumstances! I can honestly say that He and He alone is my strength, my courage, my joy and my provider! I am closer to the Lord today, than I’ve ever been in all my 29yrs of life! So go on, ask me what I’m grateful for. My resounding answer will always be, without a shadow of doubt – My uncertainties are my greatest blessings and for these, I am grateful!

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

When The Storms Don’t Cease

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, Uncertainty1 Comment

Mentally close your eyes for a moment and imagine with me. You’ve had a long, hard day. It was a day that you don’t want to relive again. You just found out that your best friend lost his cousin to a gruesome murder – his head was chopped off! You want to comfort your friend but he doesn’t want you to. He just wants to work. You try to be a good buddy and go with him. You find out that the people who came to meet him are very demanding. They don’t care about your friend. They don’t want to leave him alone even for a few minutes. You feel like your faith went to trial. When the day finally ends, all you want to do is just get in to your boat and go home! Instead, you and your friends get caught in a violent storm. There isn’t a thing you can do to steady your boat. The winds and the waves seem to be rocking your already distraught world. The boat seems to be tipping over. The water is pouring in and you feel helpless. Broken. Tired. You just want all of this to end – NOW!

Suddenly you see a light. Surely it’s the coast guard coming to your rescue. Finally! As the light comes closer, you notice something. That’s not a coast guard. That’s a ghost! What the heck!!! Oh wait, that’s a person and he’s walking on water! How can this be? Still reeling from the shock, you see that the person walking on the water is actually your best friend who you left behind on the island. What is he doing here? How is he walking on water? What’s going? You just need to catch a breath and go to your friend, even if it means to walk on water. So, amidst the crazy storm, you call out to Him – “Jesus! If it’s really You, ask me to come to You.” Jesus agrees. You try to catch your balance and stand up. Your other friends think you are crazy but you don’t care. Jesus is here and all will be well! You step out of the boat despite your friends tugging at your shirt begging you not to be stupid but you somehow get out of their grip and take that step in faith. OMG! You’re walking on water! Your eyes are tightly fixed on Jesus and you’re walking toward Him. Small, easy strides. This is amazing! For a moment you forget about everything – the winds, the waves, the screaming friends, the rocking boat, everything! All you see is Jesus!

Until…

You take your eyes off of Jesus for a minute and your whole world comes crashing down! You notice the winds and the waves. You’re afraid the waters won’t hold you and that’s exactly what happens. You begin to sink. You don’t know what’s going on. Was it a mistake to step out of the boat? “Jesus!!!!!”

Storms. They’re not uncommon. They’re very much a part of your life as they are of mine. The scenario I asked you to envision is all too familiar to me. My greatest storm has been my lack of certainty. In less than a week, I will no longer be employed. While I have decided to stay on with Operation Christmas Child as a volunteer, I have doubts and fears of how I will sustain myself. That said, I have this sense of undeniable peace in the decision that I’ve made. I know that the Lord is not leading me back to India any time soon and I know that without a shadow of doubt. But I fear the uncertainty that comes with that understanding. For the most part, I’m at peace. I’m walking on the water, my eyes firmly fixed on my Lord, knowing full well that He is in control. Until… for but a split second I take my eyes off of Him and suddenly I am all too aware of the storm around me. My fears, failures, shortcomings, all gush at me with a force aimed specifically to make sure I drown. Struggling to keep my head above the water, I call out – Jesus!!!!!

When He finally gets me out, I ask myself, “What went wrong?” Jesus and I had this awesome thing going on. I was walking on water and my storm was nonexistent. Was it really though? I think that’s where most of us make a mistake. We assume that just because we are walking on the water our storms are silenced. May I propose that as long as our eyes are fixed on Jesus, He gives us the strength and the courage that we need to tread boldly on the stormy seas, toward Him? See, when our eyes are on Jesus, our storms won’t matter – Not because they don’t have power but because Jesus is more powerful; not because they don’t rock our world, but because Jesus is our anchor; not because they don’t scare the daylights out of us, but because Jesus is our comfort and strength! There’s an old song that I grew up singing, which I think is, apt for this post. It goes like this – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of the earth will go STRANGELY DIM in the light of His glory and grace!”

When the storms of your life don’t cease, remember – as long as you keep your eyes on the Lord, He will teach you to walk amidst that storm with your head held high, until it’s time for Him to look at the winds and the waves and say to them – “peace be still.” And they WILL obey!

In closely I must say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

 

“Hon, I Picked Up The Laundry”

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Chaos, Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

I have a problem with TV shows. I get hooked on to one and that’s it! I’ll watch that series till it’s done… Binge watching if you must! My current show is White Collar and I watch it on my friend’s Netflix account (thanks Alex Bothmann!). The show is about agent Peter Burke and his investigations as the head of the White Collar division of the FBI. Peter is married to Elizabeth.

This particular episode began with Peter putting on his jacket and noticing that his wife had already picked up the laundry. They have a brief argument about it because Peter was supposed to have picked it up, but he forgot. So, Elizabeth picked up the laundry. I found this scene a bit odd because Peter and Elizabeth are the kind of couple that never fights. I mean, they NEVER fight. So the idea that the scriptwriter would include an argument between this happy couple over ‘laundry’ was a little weird.

Anyway…

Fast forward to the middle of the episode when Peter’s investigation turns south, and he ends up being taken hostage. He’s placed in a prison cell with his hands cuffed. There’s no way for him to get out but he must. He looks at his surroundings but doesn’t find anything that will help him get his cuffs off. Until, he tugs at the corner of his jacket and he finds … you guessed it – the receipt for the laundry attached to it with a safety pin. He immediately gets the safety pin off of his coat and uses it to un-cuff himself. You can guess what would’ve happened after that.

This scene brought to memory the opening scene of the show when Elizabeth tells Peter, “Hon, I picked up the laundry.” While at the time I didn’t understand the importance of that scene, I realized that the scriptwriter foresaw the need for Peter to have access to a safety pin. The scriptwriter knew exactly what he was doing when he created that scene, because he was the one writing the story.

This right here was my “Aha!” moment! Just a day or two before I watched this episode, my friend and I were talking about how similar the story of our lives were, and that sometimes we look at it and laugh about how ridiculous it seems. So much of what we go through makes zero sense! There are experiences I live through without ever realizing why I had to live through them. Half of the time I haven’t a clue where my life is headed either. However, I consciously remind myself that even though I don’t understand, the Writer of my story knows exactly what He is doing. He foresees what experiences I need because He is writing my story… every single detail of it. He knows what to include and when… He understands how each of my trials and experiences will be used to shape me into the person He is carving me to be. As long as I know Who the Writer of my story is, I have no need to worry about how my story is going to unfold itself.

I know Who the Writer of my story is. Do you know yours?

In closing I must say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

 

Welcome 2016!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, UncertaintyLeave a comment

As I stand at the threshold of a brand new year, I am humbled as I reflect upon the year gone by. For me, 2015 has been more than trying – I’ve faced challenges I’d have never thought I’d meet but as I look back at the year, I’m grateful for the strength each of those challenges instilled in me. And forced me to lift up my head and keep my eyes on Christ Who to me, matters most.

I’m grateful for every single blessing I’ve received – Blessings so innumerable that even if I do try, I fail to name them all, but as I attempt to, leave me mesmerized and amazed at what the Lord has done.

I’m grateful for family, friends and loved ones… I’m grateful for friends who, even when deeply hurt and broken, have learned to move on in life… Grateful for those who dared to take that much needed step toward achieving their dreams… Grateful for friends who took that stepped out in faith and ventured out, away from what they call home, holding on to nothing but the surety of Christ’s everlasting presence with them.

I’m grateful for every fear, anxious thought and breakdown I’ve faced in 2015, as each of them reminded and convinced me of how much I need to cling to the Lord.

I’m grateful for every promise given, fulfilled and yet to be fulfilled, both in my life and in the lives of my loved ones.

I’m grateful for God’s mercies, which, as promised in the Bible, have been new EVERY morning. I’m grateful for His undying love and unconditional grace… Above all, I’m grateful for God’s great faithfulness in both my life and yours.

As we enter in to 2016, may I encourage us to remind ourselves that even though the year is new and everything it brings is new, we serve a God who is the same yesterday, today and forever! Because He is constant, we can fearlessly step in to the unknown.

Happy New Year!

In closing I must say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

The King’s Heart

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncategorized, UncertaintyLeave a comment

In one of my previous blog posts, I told you about the journey that brought me to Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. If you haven’t read that one yet, stop reading and click here. Have you read that yet? Okay, now that you are completely updated with my life, you may continue reading.

January 26, 2016 will mark the last day of my position as a Media Relations Associate (yes, that is in fact, less than two months away). I have loved everything I’ve done in this role and I adore the people in my department. Each of them stands tall, radiating the love of Jesus and that just reminds me of how blessed I am to be a part of this team. With that being said, I have been praying earnestly about where the Lord would have me after I graduate from this role. I’ve already told you that God’s not calling me to India. Not yet at least. But the fun part is, I don’t know where He is calling me to. So yay! With Jesus, life is always an adventure. I don’t know anyone else who can make uncertainty, something to look forward to – It’s like a surprise party EVERY TIME! (Notice how I transitioned from fearful to fearless?!!!)

All that to say, I have been job-hunting again. We all know how exciting an ordeal that is *rolling eyes*! However, for a “non-resident alien” such as myself and every other international person living in the United States, job hunting is so much more than just finding a job. We have to get very specific in the kind of positions we apply to because of our visa restrictions. Basically, when an employer hires an international, they have to prove to the government that that particular position cannot be filled by an American citizen because it calls for a very specific skillset which only an international has. Now, if you know me, you know that there isn’t anything extraordinary about me. I don’t mean that in a self-deprecating way but in an I-know-my-limits kind of way. With that sense of self-awareness, I prayed that the Lord would show me what I can bring to the table that an American cannot. I soon realized that the only thing I can bring, is my Indian heritage. So, I laid that before the Lord and asked Him how I can use my ethnicity for His glory.

Fast-forward two weeks after I made that prayer. I was looking for jobs and found one that was aimed at South-Asia, the very part of the world that I am from. Super excited I read through the position and found out it was at least four levels up on the corporate ladder than the position I was currently in. No way would I ever qualify for that! Disheartened I closed the webpage and got on with my work. However, for the life of me I couldn’t think past that position. I almost felt it was an answer to the prayer I made offering my heritage and ethnicity to the Lord. Other than the fact that that position was so high up, I was perfect for it. I soaked it in prayer not quite sure what to ask for and what response to expect. I decided I was going to talk about applying to that position, with the person to whom that position reports. After a very healthy conversation, this person suggested I speak to the others in the department who work in similar roles so I can learn a little about what that position entails. So, that’s exactly what I did.

I arranged to meet with each of these people over lunch. I started with Mr. A. As he shared his experiences and challenges with me, I felt this overwhelming sense of unworthiness. I saw how small I was for the job. I thought of a bajillion reasons why I shouldn’t be doing it. The feeling of smallness was overbearing. I was giving God reasons why He should find someone else for that position. At the very end of the conversation, Mr. A asked me why I was having this conversation (I hadn’t mentioned anything about the job to him or to anyone else that I spoke to). I gave him an honest response and then added that while I would absolutely LOVE working in that position, I felt small and inadequate. I told him that the Lord needed to find someone else. He just looked at me and said, “Who are you to decide that?” He then pointed me to one of the greatest kings in history – King David – The youngest of Jesse’s sons. He was also the smallest. In his own strength, David was completely incapable of being a king. So much so, that the prophet Samuel found it hard to believe that God would choose someone as insignificant as David. Mr. A smiled at me and said, “It is not your job to wonder if you will get this position or not. Your job is only to be available should the Lord choose you for it. If God wants you to fill the position, He will work in the heart of the leadership. You only need to be still.”

I went home that day and thought about what Mr. A said. I needed to hear that because whether I acknowledge it or not, I was putting God in a box and dictating what He can and cannot do for me. As His child, someone who truly believes that He can do anything… the very impossible thing even, I should aim high. I should seek after dreams that I can never fulfill on my own. After all, is anything too hard for the Lord?

I learned that day that the king’s heart is in the Lord’s hand (Proverbs 21:1). And for me, that should be the only thing that matters. Whether I get the position or not is not the question here. The question here is – Am I willing to let the Lord work in my life? Am I willing to ask Him for what seems like the impossible and truly believe that He is able to do it? Am I willing to aim high, reach for the stars and seek after that which I cannot accomplish on my own? Or, am I living a life that is limited by my idea of skills and abilities?

Although it is not always easy, I now truly believe that the king’s heart is in the Lord’s hand. Do you?

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

Surely I’m Capable of More

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncertainty, WorshipLeave a comment

Earlier this week, my manager gave me a simple task to do. She wanted me to ship some labels out. I did it and replied to her email letting her know that the task was done. She responded like the way she always does – with a “Thank you.” You may read this and think – so what? What’s the big deal? The big deal is, she has never missed saying thank you for the simplest things I’ve done – sending out mail, editing bios, updating a spreadsheet or just walking over to her desk to answer a question. She has always said thank you (a true sign of a good leader if you ask me!). Now, I don’t work to be appreciated, but when you are consistently appreciated, you have to acknowledge it. So I wrote her a note telling her how awesome she was to consider those under her and say thank you. Obviously touched by the little note, she responded and said that it means a lot that even though I hold a Master’s degree, I am willing to do things like mailing out labels.

I’m not saying this to pat myself on the back, but I am at a point in life where I truly believe that work is work. You honor what you are asked to do, and you do it diligently and with integrity. Now, I was not always like this. There was a time when I didn’t want to do something because I thought it was menial work. But God broke my pride. He taught me that humility goes a long way.

In 2009 I was offered a job at a diplomatic mission as an Administrative Assistant. Please don’t get me wrong when I say this, but I thought the position was that of a glorified secretary and so I did not want to do that job at all. I almost felt that it was beneath me and that I was capable of more. Nonetheless, I took the job and I did it to the best of my abilities. I worked very hard but I had a really bad attitude about it. I didn’t enjoy my work. I did it because it was my job and because I needed a paycheck. Until, the Lord broke my pride by teaching me two very important things:

  1. Who Am I Working For?

The Bible teaches us in Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” That verse was a slap in my face! I asked myself – If Jesus wanted an Administrative Assistant, I’d want to be that person right? Well, I was that person at that very moment. Once I learned that I wasn’t working for my organization. Rather, I was working for my Lord, my whole perspective changed. Now, I gave my job my whole heart and in doing so, learned how important my role was and how humbling it was to be in that position. I learned so much being in the position. God could’ve picked anyone else to do that job but He didn’t. He picked me and I wasn’t about to let Him down.

  1. Can I Be Trusted with More?

The Bible teaches us in Luke 16:10 – “He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much.” If I cannot do a menial task diligently, what makes me think I can do a more responsible position any better? It was only after I learned to be faithful and work with all my heart in the position of an Administrative Assistant was I offered the position of a Cultural Affairs Assistant. My position stepped up, my responsibilities grew but it was only because the right people saw that I was faithful in the little things and could be trusted with more.

What is the point to this blogpost? It is this – Perhaps you are more educated than what your job requires. Perhaps you feel like the work you are doing is beneath you. Perhaps you think that you are capable of more. There is nothing wrong in wanting more. We should all aim high. But just because our goals are higher, doesn’t mean that what we are doing at this very moment is meaningless. On the contrary, may I suggest that your present is in fact, preparation for what is yet to come? I want to challenge you – be faithful in the little. Once you learn how to, God will pile on the responsibilities. Trust Him with it. As children of the living God, we have to believe – God doesn’t make any mistakes. If He has allowed you to be a temporary Media Relations Associate, it is with purpose. If He has allowed you to be a cashier at a retail store, it is with purpose. If He has allowed you to be a secretary, it is with purpose. If God has allowed you to have the worst boss under the sun, it is with purpose.

So, should I be mailing out labels when I hold two Master’s degrees? ABSOLUTELY! If the King of Kings could work as a carpenter, I think I can ship some labels. Wouldn’t you agree?

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!

Help Me! I’m Desperate!

On By Rachel ChadalavadaIn Future, Uncertainty2 Comments

I’m going to start off by saying that God is good. He knows the hearts of His children and He knows how to meet them at their point of need. He did this for me and I know He will do it for you too.

Many of you know that I am currently employed and absolutely LOVE what I do. I adore the organization I work with and I am convinced without a shadow of doubt that God placed me here and there is purpose in EVERYTHING He does. That said, I should also acknowledge that the position I am in right now is temporary and as January comes to an end, so will my employment. But I’m not afraid. Not any more.

Before I accepted this position, I was in a waiting period that lasted 7months – Seven excruciatingly painful months of waiting! In those months I did everything that was expected of me. I did my part. Yet, nothing worked out for me. I started applying for jobs in December 2014. I followed up with applications and put in more in February. I applied for my OPT and got my paperwork done earlier than I needed to. I did everything right. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a full time job that would sponsor an H1B. Actually, I didn’t even want the employer to sponsor me. I just wanted them to be open to the idea of sponsorship. I told myself if that happened, God would work everything else out.

In those seven months I laughed at the irony of having 6yrs of work experience, two master’s degrees and still being completely incapable of securing a job. I cried at the helplessness of being an international student and having nothing more to offer than an average American citizen. I was mad at the complete lack of response from companies and organizations I applied to. I was frustrated with potential employers who conducted hour-long interviews only to turn around and tell me that they didn’t want to hire me because of my visa restrictions. I prayed desperately, almost begging God to take me back to India, but He told me I had to stay here – in a country where I was an “alien.” He laid it on my heart to make America my home… at least for the moment. That knowledge frustrated me even more because now I knew I had to stay in this country but I had no clue as to how I would.

I tried to stay encouraged. I smiled and I applied for more and more jobs. I told everyone who asked that I was trusting the Lord. I told them He was in control. But in the stillness of the night I felt like a complete failure. I felt like an idiot who couldn’t get her act together. I cried myself to sleep every other night and the nights I didn’t cry, I hardly slept. I became desperate. I was willing to do any job as long as it had to do with my education. I took my list of “conditions for employment” and threw it in the trashcan.

In my utterly desperate state, tears flowing down my face, I fell to the ground and surrendered EVERYTHING to the Lord. For the first time in those 7months, I asked Jesus to have His way. I told Him I’d take whatever job He would give me. Temporary. Part time. Whatever He would say, I would do. Wherever He would send me, I would go. No questions asked. I didn’t lay out for Him the importance of finding a full time employment; neither did I point out to Him my need for an employment visa. For once, I just trusted that He knew best.

Then it happened. One day, an angel who shall remain unnamed (you know who you are), fought for me. Her kindness toward me and her persistence toward the position opened the doors to Operation Christmas Child for me. For a moment I hesitated because taking up a temporary position would mean that I would go through a waiting period again. But I was reminded by the Psalmist when he said, “In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them” (Psalm 22:4). God’s deliverance came AFTER His people trusted Him. Not the other way around.

With that, I walked into my position as a Media Relations Associate. From the day I started working there, to this very day, I have LOVED every single moment of my employment. Regardless of what I do – perhaps I’m just sending out an email, or I’m recording who is doing what interview and where… I know that there is a greater cause. God knew that to me, only two things truly mattered – Jesus and children – both of which are wonderfully fulfilled at Operation Christmas Child.

Even though I have less than three months of employment left, I know I have played a role in planting the seeds of Jesus’ love in the hearts of children around the world. I am happy. I am content. I’m humbled and convinced that God’s not done with me yet.

What is the point this post you ask? It is this – Sometimes, God has to bring us to extremely desperate seasons in our life for us to stop, and just completely trust Him. If I didn’t come to a point of desperation, I would not have obeyed the Lord in serving Operation Christmas Child. Even before I knew it, Jesus knew that I loved children. Even before I knew it, Jesus knew my heart. He knew my need. When I humbled myself because of my desperation, He gave me the best. By mid-December, I would have travelled to six different cities, addressed gatherings of 200 youth, done three radio interviews, addressed a church on a televised program, and flown to California (yes!), all of which will point people to the needs of children around the world, the greatest need being to hear of the love of Jesus.

In your desperation, remember, God may just be fine-tuning your ears to pay attention to His voice.

In closing I have to say – I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord!